1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a submunition for destroying a target in a target area. Accommodated in a casing of the submunition are a signal processing unit connected to a radar antenna and/or an infrared sensor and/or another target-detecting sensor. The signal processing unit has target recognition software, and the submunition further has a charge provided with a covering. The invention further concerns a method of destroying a target in a target area by use of a submunition.
A submunition of the general kind set forth is known for example from the prospectus “SMArt 155” from GIWS Gesellschaft für Intelligente Wirksysteme mbH, 90478 Nuremberg from August 2001 and the prospectus “SMArt-D (AM)” from Diehl Munitionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG, 90552 Röthenbach a. d. Pegnitz from October 2000.
The known submunition is configured for shooting off with artillery shells. In that case a signal processing unit accommodated in a casing of the submunition is provided at the factory with target recognition software. It is stored in a preprogrammed memory chip of the signal processing unit or is stored in the memory chip during manufacture. After manufacture of the submunition the target recognition software can no longer be configured or modified.
The conventional submunition is configured for use scenarios in respect of which it is assumed that there are many targets, for example tanks, on a relatively even non-built-up surface. When using the conventional submunition in relation to other use scenarios, for example in a built-up area, false-positive target recognitions can occur.